Cotton-tramper



A. J. HOPKINS.

COTTON TRAMPER. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8, 1919.

H m a an G w W M a 0 M m 0 9 w y n w w w w u u 4 m m f f 1 M 5 7, 3 a E r 8/ 8 5 .r. u 1 I m M $1.1, o o o 0 o .......H. f r I M4 3 o 0 o 3 o o o 5 I H a w 1 w x w w w 4 w M, x z 3 v a 5 I .w....w Y 1 7 ,z a 4 8 f a 6 a a 8 3 5 4 a 1 UNITED STATES ANDREW J. HOPKINS, 0F KAUFMAN, TEXAS.

COTTON-TRAMPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

Application filed October 8, 1919. Serial No. 329,249.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW J HOPKINS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Kaufman, in the county of Kaufman and State of Texas, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in a Cotton- Tramper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for tramping and packing cotton and more particularly to means for automatically feeding cotton to a tramper at predetermined intervals.

The primary object of the invention is to construct a feed mechanismwvhich will be operated in conjunction with the apparatus fortramping cotton so that on the return stroke of the tramper a supply of cotton will be automatically delivered to the press chamher to becompressed by the power stroke.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in conjunction with the feed mechanism and tramper whereby upon completion of the return strokeof the tramper a new supply of cotton will be delivered to the feed mechanism from thecondenser.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tramping and feeding mechanism wherein the successive operations may be regulated andbe made to follow one another in the proper sequence and at the proper time intervals, I

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the detailed description and drawings forming a part of this specification.

Furthermore this invention consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts more particularly described in the following specification and embodied in the claims appended hereunto and forming part of this application.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention.

Fig. 2 is aside elevation of a portion of the operating mechanism.

Fig. 3is a side elevation of the invention as illustrated in Fig. 1. r

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the feed mechanism.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate like or similar parts through out the several views.

In broad terms my invention consists in several distinct but interactive elements, namely; the feed mechanism generally designated by the numeral 1 and illustrated in detail in Fig. i of the drawings; the operating mechanism generally designated by 2; and the tramping mechanism designated by 3. The invention as an entirety is used in conjunction with a condenser which is usually placed on the second floor of a ginhouse and in close proximity with the press box which is usuallylocated on the floor beneath. From the condenser a flue or other suitable conveying means (not shown) delivers the cottonbat to the feed mechanism 1, from which place the object of the present invention is to periodically deliver it to the tramping mechanism 2 for converting it into bales of suitable size.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the supporting frame work of the tramper is mounted on sills 4, and comprises a series of cross beams 5 of varying length; the. exterior two of which extend somewhat beyond the others as at 6 to form supports for the bearings 7 of the power shaft 8. The two rearward extensions 9 of the cross beams likewise form supports for the bearings 10 of the upper and lower short shafts 11 and. 12 respectively. Mounted on each of the sills 4 and converging upwardly to apoint adjacent to each other are complementary pairs of uprights 13connected at their upper extremities by transverse beams 14 upon which are mounted the bearings 15 of the shafts 16. The innermost pairs of the uprights 13 are secured each to and are braced from the sills 4 by the diagonal truss-rods 17. j

The main power shaft 8 is provided with sprocket wheels 18 and tight and loose pulleys 19, the last named being designed for operative connection with a suitable source of energy (such as the power plant of the condenser). Chains 2O operatively connecting sprocket wheels 18 and 21.. the last named carried by shafts 16, impart move ment thereto which is carried therefrom to shaft 22 through the medium of the sprockets 23 and 24 connected by chains 25.

Keyed or otherwise suitably secured to the inner ends of the shaft 22 are sprocket wheels 26 connected by chains 27 to the idlers 28 carried upon the inner ends of the shafts 16. Carried by the chain 27 is a cross head 29 to which are clonnectedat points adjacent the chain, the parallel connecting rods or plungers 30,' the lower ends of which are movably secured in (the bearing 32 of the tramper follower 31.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that upon rotation of the power shaft 8 i that, vertical reciprocation is imparted to the tramper follower 3 1 throughthe medium of chains 27 as operated from sprockets'26, shaf 22.

' Suitably secured upon one side of the tramper follower 31 and adapted tobe re- ,ciprocated thereby is ,anv apron or. partition gene al y signa e by ferring now more particularly-to Fig. 4:v the draw-i the feed mechanism in detail consists o the apron or partition 33 which as. before stated is carried by the .tramperfollower3l and reciprocates therewith in the grooved standards 35 m unted 30' on the'sills 4; Suitably fixed on:the lower .endsofithe standards 33 and slightly above the 'f fid box are end pieces v36 to whichis V the Sheet metal casing 37 which forms the outer side and-bottom of the feed mac 7 ism box. It has been ,found desirto reinforce this casing by strips asqthe vibration otherwise tends to displace it. Midway the extremities of the end pieces 35 ,are extensions 39 which support \the bearings (notshown) of the shaft A .drum .41 havingconcave fingers 42 is mounted on the shaftwithin the casing .7 and upon rotation forces the cotton periodicgllgothrough the openings 34 into the x where it is compressed by the downward or power stroke of the :tramper follower 31. V

A sprocket 43 mounted on the power shaft 8 is foperatlvely connected with .a sprocket .44 on theshaft'elO bythe chain lie. d it has been found expedient .to support is e chain p rtition 33e munied ortsA 0,

p a LP 11 intermediate sprockets by idler pulleys 46, mounted on shafts 11 and 12 before rete re i .Eachpperative element of the present .in-

1s estu ted irq n the. power shaft 8, 7 us eliminating to a eat extent unneces- 1 13K H lt which Woul tendzto-deerease the etfim cy f he mach ne Upon therear surface of the apron .or at? a .pair of w ns, movably wver 9 o e s ns' 7- I ha e found it expedien to securethe cover ween-9 s 9? m ans of s r ps but other securingmeans maylbe-found desirable lwhen the device is placed upon a commercial asis.

It be seen that upon extreme upward movement of the apron 33 the cover 49 is raised allowing ingress of cotton to the feed mechanism from the condenser. Upon downward movement, of the apron .(-or power stroke) the cover is dropped so that no more cotton will be fed to the press box. To properly position the cover and limit its downward movement I have devised a pair of brackets 51 carried by the standards 35 andrhaving fingers 52 which contact with extensions 53 on the cover at the proper-time to position it upon the casing 37. The sloping portion of the brackets also serve as guides for the cover upon upward movement thereof.

Assuming that the apparatus has been installed in agin-house. nipped with gins, condenseriand press,.and the gins started in the operation of ginning cotton; the opera-- tion of-thi's invention would be as follows:

- Upon the upward stroke of the tmmper follower 31 thecover 49 is raised soithat cotton is delivered from the condenser to the feed mechanism where it is quickly p'jassed into the press box through the apron.

pon commencement of the power stroke the cover is released and drops toits closi g position upon the casing and p the openilzg Behaving passed the lowermost edge v(If e casing are closed to further of cotton to the press box.

In order to allow the air trapped by the tramper follower on its power eitlOkQ to escape I have provided an outlet pipe 54 extending upwardly from the central portion of the tramper follower.

Attention is directed to the tact that at the termination of the return stroke of the tramper follower free movement of cotton from the feed mechanism directl .to the press box is permitted and that as t e wer stroke progresses access to the press x is a closure carried by said tramping member for regulating the amount of cotton transmitted .by the feed member to the humping member and means camied b said closure o lating the amount .0 cotton ta mitteAt) the fieed member.

2. evice or tramping cotton ising a tramping member and a feed member, a closure carried by Said Wal mmbel' for regulating the amount of cotton transmitted by the feed member to the tramping member, and a cover carried by the said closure for limiting the amount of cotton delivered to the feed member.

3. A device for tramping cotton comprising a vertically reciprocating tramping member and a feed member cooperative therewith, a partition carried by said tramping member for regulating the action of the feed member with respect thereto, a movable cover carried by the partition for periodically admitting quantities of cotton to the feed member, and means for simultaneously operating the tramping and feed members.

4:. A device for tramping cotton comprising a tramping member and a feed member, means on said tramping member for regulating the action of the feed member with respect thereto, a drum in the feed member for transferring cotton from the feed member to the tramping member, and a cover movably mounte on said first named means for periodically allowing cotton to be delivered to the feed member.

5. A device for tramping cotton comprising a tramping member and a feed member,

a partition having openings therein carried by said tramping member for regulating the quantity of cotton delivered by the feed member to the tramping member, a movable cover carried by the partition for limiting the amount of cotton delivered to the feed member, means for limiting the move-- ment of the cover with respect to the feed member and means for simultaneously actufiting said feed member and tramping mem- 6. The combination in a device for tramping cotton comprising a frame, and a tramping member carried thereby, of a feed member supported adjacent said tramping member, a partition carried by the tramping member and slidably attached to said frame for limiting the amount of cotton delivered from the feed member to the tramping memher, and a cover carried by the partition and vertically movable with respect to the frame for limiting the amount of cotton delivered to the feed member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature hereto.

ANDREW J. HOPKINS. 

